More parents seek help for mental problems of boys than girls

When it comes to mental health problems in children, parents are more likely to seek help if it’s a boy than a girl, according to a study.

The study was conducted by doctors to find out the perception of parents, living in an urban slum of Mumbai, about child mental health problems and their help-seeking behaviour.

Titled “Study of perception and help-seeking behaviour among parents for their children with psychiatric disorder: a community-based cross-sectional study”.

It was published in The journal of Medical research.

The study found that 47.4 per cent parents aware that their children suffered from some psychiatric disorder but only 10.5 per cent had sought treatment voluntarily before they were interviewed for the study.

The major reasons for not seeking treatment were lack of awareness.

Other reasons were, worries about adolescents being diagnosed as having a mental health disorder.

Notably, parents’ perception about mental health problems and the desire to seek help for their children was higher in parents of boys than girls and in mothers having higher education.

“Overall, the study found that parents’ perception and, thereby, help-seeking behaviour for child mental health problems is very limited especially if factors like girl child, a large family, low educational status of parents, unemployment and stressful environment is present in the family,” says the study.